Menem ahead in Argentinian presidential race

The Argentinian presidential election on Sunday will be one of the closest in decades, according to opinion polls today.

Most gave former leader Carlos Menem a narrow lead but all saying that a second round runoff will be required.

To avoid a runoff, a candidate must pick up 45% of the vote outright or be at least 10% ahead of the second-place finisher.

Menem, who served two terms from 1989 to 1999, led a major poll published in the leading newspaper La Nacion with 20.1% of the ballot.

Nestor Kirchner, the government’s candidate, was locked in a close race for second place with former economy minister Ricardo Lopez Murphy, with both around 18%.

President Eduardo Duhalde, who leaves office on May 25, took over in January 2002 at the height of a deep economic crisis that saw Argentina default on almost £100bn in public debt and sharply devalue its peso. A new president is to serve for four years.

Menem made it sound like he had already won the election when he appeared before a large crowd at River Plate’s soccer stadium in Buenos Aires on Thursday night. He blamed his successors in government for the country’s turmoil.

“I am returning! I am returning to rebuild the Argentine republic! I am returning to end hunger, to end poverty and chaos!” said Menem.

He even invited the people to join him May 25 at the Government House for the inauguration. Fireworks burst overhead as he was kissed by his wife, Cecilia Bolocco, a former Miss Universe.